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The UK is bracing itself for travel chaos with a blanket of heavy snow predicted to fall across much of the country.

Drivers are being warned to check weather forecasts and road conditions as forecasters said up to 6in (15cm) of snow could fall over parts of the Midlands, South and Mid Wales and Northern Ireland on Wednesday night and Thursday.

London and southern England are also expected to see up to 2in (5cm) of snow around Wednesday morning’s rush-hour.

John Hutchinson, forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “There are going to be a few snow showers today in eastern parts of Scotland and also down the east coast.

“The precipitation that is coming in overnight – in the South West of England – Devon, Cornwall and Dorset – will, I think, mostly be rain and sleet but on the highest ground there, over parts of the moors, there may well be some snow.

“As it moves into Wales, the Midlands and parts of southern England, then we are looking at it mostly turning into snow.”

The worst-hit areas are expected to be hillier parts of the Midlands, with places such as the Cotswolds receiving the heaviest snowfall, along with parts of South and Mid Wales and southern areas of Northern Ireland.

The forecasts come as temperatures plunged overnight in areas of Britain with the lowest temperature recorded in Sennybridge, Powys, Wales, of minus 9C (16F).

Similar temperatures were recorded in the Midlands, and parts of southern and northern England.

The Met Office has already issued an early warning of severe weather, with a forecast of heavy snow spreading north east across England and Wales on Wednesday night.